Autocollimating signal device



April 12, 1938. T. CONDON AUTOCOLLIMATING SIGNAL DEVICE Filed Aug. 7, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

April 19-38. E. T. CONDON 2,113,829

AUTOCQLLIMATING SIGNAL DEVICE Filed Aug. 7, 1934 2 Sh'ets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. EDWARD T. CONDON ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 12, 1938 UNITED s'rATss PATENT OFFIG 2 Claims.

\ of spherically formed portions of transparent material combined into an object lens and a col--' limating lens, the latter being faced with a coatingof silver for reflecting oncoming light rays, are well known; and it is an object of the present invention to combine such units with integrally associated elements adapted for the transmission of light rays as signals under manual control.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a one-piece or cast glass member adapted to receive and reflect oncoming rays of light as well as to serve for the transmission of light rays through the member and under the control of signalling instrumentalities as provided on automobiles.

In carrying out the invention, a signal member is provided of a transparent block of glass con- 25 stituted of a multiplicity of autocollimating units grouped to present the desired design of field, but with certain of the units having their collimating lens portions omitted as well as the reflecting surfaces thereof. These elements comprising only the object lenses are, moreover, recessed or undercut so as not only to render the same more transparent but also to afford a lateral transmission of light rays to the adjacently disposedcomplete autocollimating units. I

The nature of the invention, however,'will best be understood when described in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 isalongitudinal housing equipped with the novel signal lens' 40 member;

Fig. 2 is a. front elevationthereof.

Fi'g.. 3 is a front elevation of a signal lamp illustrating a modified pattern of the signal lens member. N Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a lamp hous- .ing with a signal lens member, and illustrates a further modification'in'the lens pattern as well as in the signal lamp as a whole.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation thereof.

50 Referring to the drawings, l designates a metal casing of suitable shape and designed to house one or more lamps as the lamps II and I2, the latter being designed -for use as a tail and parking light and the former as a stop light,

55 both being operated in the usual manner by insection through a lampstrumentalities (not shown) with-which a motor car is generally equipped. The front of the cask ing in is designed as usual to be closed by a transparent member as of glass and held within a suitable cap or ring i3.

This lens member is constructed, in accordance with the present invention, of an integral or cast glass block or plate i having the outer lenses or protuberances iii of a more or less spherical form and constituting the object lenses .of autocollimating units, the collimating lens, portions i'i associated therewith being also of more or less spherical shape and usually of a larger radius than the radius of the object lens,

the two portions of a unit contacting along a dianietral plane. The rear surface of each of these collimating lenses l1, furthermore, is faced in well known manner with a coating of silver, and preferably also with a coating of varnish thereover, as indicated at i8.

Contrary to. the usual practice, however, in constructing a lens member of this nature, the present signal member is not constructed wholly of such autocollimating units adjacently disposed; but a number of the object lenses of the group are not'associated with collimating lens portions nor with a reflecting coating; and, preferably, so far as the design of the signal field will allow, alternate units only are of the collimating type and adapted for reflection.

Thus, it will be noted that the protuberances or object lenses 20 are without associated collimating lenses as in the case of the object lenses l6; and, furthermore, that the said lenses "20 are recessed as at 2| at the inner portioh. This will permit light rays from the lamps ll and/or I! to pass through these particular lenses, the said rays being blocked byjthe silvered portion [8 of the collimating lenses 11 which are designed merely to reflect any oncoming light rays directed upon the signal field or plate l5. Furthermore, the object lenses all being grouped adjacently and substantially in a common plane, light rays from lenses 2!], which are interspersed with the reflecting units, will be directedand reflected laterally from the recess walls of the said lenses 20 'to the adjacently disposed lens portions l6, serving thus to illuminate these lenses as well as the said lenses 20 when a lamp ll and/or lamp "is energized.

Various patterns of this combined autocollimating and signalling lens member arepossible in the arrangement of the different object lenses l6 and 20. Thus, as indicated inFig. 2, ,wherein a circular signal lens is set forth, a

single light-transmitting lens 20 is centrally disposed, and inthe present instance is made of somewhat larger diameter than the remaining lenses which are grouped around the same in concentric rows.

For example,-the first row 22 is constituted solely of the object lenses l6 of the type associated with a collimating lens to aflord a reflecting unit; while the succeeding rows include both types of ienses- -the row 24 immediately adjacent the aforesaid row 22 comprising alternate lens units of the two types, and the next'succeeding row 25 comprising single lens units It alternating with pairs of adjacent lenses 20. In Fig. 3 a further modification is found in which the centrally disposed lens)" is of the typeof the lens 20 of the previously described embodiments, and the succeeding rows 21, 28, 29 concentric therewith comprise alternately ar- 20 ranged lenses respectively of the type of lenses l8 and 20 of said embodiment. of course, various other combinationswre possible, and I do not desire to be limited to the particular arrange-' ments set forth.

5 A further modification in the. arrangement of within an auxiliary housing the lenses and signal device is set forth in the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5, in which the two types of lenses are arranged alternately in a single ring 30 and about a separate central signal field portion 3|. Thus, this central portidn closing part of the front of the main lamp housing 32 comprises an opaque field 33 with signal portion 34, as of fluted glass, and through which light is directed from a'lamp 35 mounted It located coaxially within the main housing".

An annular light chamber 36 surrounds this auxiliary housing and is closed at the front by the annulus", illumination for said annulus be-' ing had from'a lamp 31 at the rear' of housing 32. The annulus 30, furthermore, may be concentric with the signal portion 34 and field 33;

and, as in the previously described embodiment,

the autocollimating reflecting 38 thereof will be illuminated by oncoming rays of light directed thereto; while the object lens portions 39, unassociated with collimating portions and alternating with the lenses 38, will transmit light received from the lamp 31 which may be of the type embodying a doublefilament and serving thus as both a tail and stop light. It will be appreciated that, similarly to the previously described-embodiments, light from a lens 39 will be caused also to eflect illumination of contiguous autocollimating units 38.

I claim:

1. A lens member for automobile signal lamps,

comprising a group of autocollimating reflector units for reflecting light rays incident thereon substantially in the direction of incidence and embodying lens portions projecting from'the outer face of the member, and a plurality of lighttransmitting object lens units, disposed adjacent the ,said reflector units, recessed axially outwardly at the back to an extent to refract light from a source behind thelens member onto the pro vdiametral plane of the former and projecting inwardly froingsaid face, to reflect substantially in the direction of incidence light rays incident upon the said units, and a plurality of integral, light-transmitting and substantially hemispherical object lens portions interspersed with the said autocollimating units and recessed axially outwardly at the back to an extent to retract light from a source behind the lens member onto the projecting lens portions of the autocollimating units. EDWARD T. CONDON. 1 

